“Wasn’t ready.” I petted Suki’s soft fur. “He said he never wanted to move, he only considered it for me.” I didn’t want to tell her the rest of it, and really, it wasn’t her business. She’s my mom, not my friend, ya know? Some things a guy has to keep to himself, especially when they put me in a bad light.

“Sorry, honey.”

“…Yeah, me, too. We were a good team.” Or at least, I’d thought so.

“So now what? You and AJ?”

That surprised me. We’d been pretty careful when visiting. “Why would you immediately go there?”

“Because you two have been close for years. You know each other well. You trust and rely on each other. Plus, I saw him sneak-kiss you in the hall after dinner.”

I laughed. “Yeah, okay, can’t deny it. We’re giving it a shot.”

“It’s Dan’s birthday next weekend. Make sure you and AJ come out to celebrate it.”

“As long as it’s on Sunday, sure. AJ works Saturday.”

“See you then!”

After we hung up, I smiled. Life sure had an interesting way of taking you down unexpected paths.